The Lion's Book: A Poetry Collection

can't you change the language setting? they don't understand spanish

most times I observe,

pretending that I'm better than those

I think to be ignorant

with a smug sort of look twisted across

my face

(but I'm not better, I'm just exhausted)

first impressions are always drags,

like I'm some puzzle

(undesirable to begin with)

a thousand whole pieces to figure out

and when they're all together

it's nothing but one color

my color

and then of couse there's 

my language(s)

eloquence matters not

and neither does

flexibility

perspective

or fluency

because it's your opinion

and because I'm just some teenager

(and other lame excuses)

who doesn't fit your standards

I'm the playlist on your ipod

whose reasons for creating you don't quite recall

so you skip past each song in an annoyed manner

leaving only half of half a second for each artist

to spit out a syllable

before realizing you have all the music you want

on your computer 

(I can write metaphors, too)

that's only the beginning, though

(and yes, I'm serious)

I'm starting to think stereotyping

less as an unfortunate thing I

too often encounter

and more as an epidemic

because when

my face

my skin

my language(s)

are used as free passes

to crack a shitty joke

(no one laughed)

or gossip in a tongue

you think I can't understand

(you're only 3 feet away, I can still hear you)

something's crooked